Life-preserving garment.



- 41.1. TISCHER; LIFE PRESERWNQ GARMENT.

APPLICATION man ocr. 12. |911.

Patented Feb.' 5, 918.A

Witness@ www. WM l.

JOSEF J. TISCI-IER, OF WESTBURY, NEW YORK.

LIFE-PRESERVING GARMENT.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918..

Application led October 12, 1917. Serial No. 196,245.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, .loser J. TISCHER, a citizen of Austria, residing at d/estbury, in the county of Nassau, State of New York. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Preserving Garments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the. same.

This invention is an improvement in garments and has particular reference to a life preserving jacket.

.ein object of the invention is to provide an improved garment which may be conveniently worn at all times and which is adapted to be readily and quickly inflated by the wearer from his lungs whereby the garment will adequately support said wearer when in the water and not interfere with the movement of his arms when swimming.

Another object is to provide a garment of this character which is simple in construction7 easy to manufacture and effective in carrying out the purpose for which it is designed.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, one of which, for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of the garment in a deated condition.

Fig. 2 is a similar view inflated.

Fig. 3 is anv enlarged section through the mouthpiece employed for infiating the garment.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section therethrough.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the valve mechanism.

The garment embodied in the present in vention is preferably in the form of a jacket made of any light material rendered waterproof and airtight and doubled to provide an air compartment, said jacket comprising a body having the neck and arm openings 11 and 12 respectively which are so formed as to permit of the wearer having free use of his arms when swimming. The bottom of the body is provided with an elastic belt 13 having the buckle fastening means let whereby the .same may be readily adjusted and tightened around the waist of the wearer. 0n each side of the neck portion 11 and between the same and the arm holes 12, the interior of the garment has communicating therewith a pair of converging flexible tubes 15 having their free ends joined by a tube 16 provided with a mouthpiece 17 by means of which the garment may be infiated from the lungs of the wearer.

The mouthpiece 17 is preferably provided with the longitudinally extending Opening or passage 18 reduced at its outer end as indi* cated at 19 and enlarged and screw threaded as indicated at 20, said passage having oppositely disposed ducts 21 arranged longitudinally thereof. The inner end of the mouthpiece 17 is provided with diagonally disposed vents 22 which communicate at their inner ends with the inner enlarged end of the passage 18, the outer ends of said vents opening upon the outer surface of an annular flange 23 formed on the body portion of the mouthpiece. Adjacent the flange 23 the mouthpiece is screwthreaded as indicated at 24 to receive an internal screw threaded ring 25 having a washer 26 upon its inner surface adapted to close the outer ends of the ducts 22 when the ring 25 is threaded into engagement with said flange whereby to prevent the escape of air from the interior of the duct. It will be apparent from this construction that the garment may be readily deflated by simply unscrewing the ring 25 to permit of the passage of the air through the vents 22. The outer reduced end 19 of the passage 18 is normally closed by a mechanism which preferably includes a valve 27 having its outer end provided with a projection 28 adapted to engage in the reduced end 19 whereby to prevent the flow of air upwardly therethrough. The valve 27 is provided with a stem 29 the inner end of which extends through an enlarged opening 30 formed centrally in the screw threaded plug 31 which is adapted to engage the screw threads of the enlarged inner end 20 whereby to securely retain said plug in position. The means for retaining the valve 27 in its normally closed position preferably comprises a spring 32 coiled about the stem 29 and interposed between said valve and the plug 31 thus exerting an outward pressure upon the valve so that the same will engage the outer end of the passage 1S.

In practice, the garment is of such construction that the same may be constantly worn in a deflated condition by the wearer if so desired and thus, in an emergency, the garment may be quickly inflated by the Wearer blowing into the mouthpiece 18, Which action Will force the valve 27 inwardly against the tension of the spring 32 and thus permit the passage of air through the mouthpiece and plug 3l into the air compartment of thegarment. Further advantage is derived from a construction of this character by providing for the ready deiation of the garment when the wearer is not in the Water in order that a new supply of air may be injected into the garment. This fact enables the ivearer to keep himself Warm in the event that he becomes chilled by having to remain in the Water over an extended period.

What is claimed is A valve device for inflatable garments comprising a mouthpiece adapted for connection to a garment and having an air passage therein, a plug closing one end of said passage and having an opening, a valve stem slidable through the opening in said plug and extending longitudinally through said passage, a valve carried by said stem for closing the outer end of said passage, a

spring for normally retaining said valve in closing position, said mouthpiece also having vents communicating with said passage whereby to permit of the escape of air from said garment, and a ring member adjustably mounted on said mouthpiece for normally closing said vents to prevent the escape of air.

In testimonywhereof, I alix my sign aturc in the presence of tivo Witnesses.

JOSEF J. TISCHER.

J. H. MCCORD.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington. D. C. 

